Monitoring dosing regimens of consumables

Abstract

According to one aspect, a method of monitoring a dosing regimen of consumables may include actuating a retrieval mechanism to direct at least a portion of a scheduled dose of consumable media, according to a predetermined schedule, from one or more containers to a dispensing zone, receiving a first signal indicative of a quantity of the consumable media directed from the one or more containers to the dispensing zone, receiving a second signal indicative of a quantity of the scheduled dose of the consumable media consumed by a user associated with the scheduled dose, and based on the quantity of the consumable media directed to the dispensing zone and the quantity of the consumable media consumed by the user, determining a degree of compliance for the user with respect to the scheduled dose.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of monitoring a dosing regimen of consumables, the method comprising:
 actuating a retrieval mechanism to direct at least a portion of a scheduled dose of consumable media, according to a predetermined schedule, from one or more containers to a dispensing zone;   receiving a first signal indicative of a quantity of the consumable media directed from the one or more containers to the dispensing zone;   receiving a second signal indicative of a quantity of the scheduled dose of the consumable media consumed by a user associated with the scheduled dose; and   based on the quantity of the consumable media directed to the dispensing zone and the quantity of the consumable media consumed by the user, determining a degree of compliance for the user with respect to the scheduled dose.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the degree of compliance includes non-compliance, compliance, and one or more degrees of partial compliance with respect to the scheduled dose. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first signal includes feedback from an optical sensor, a weight sensor, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second signal corresponds to removal of the consumable media from the dispensing zone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second signal includes feedback from an optical sensor, a weight sensor, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second signal includes feedback from a sensor detecting removal of a cup from the dispensing zone. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scheduled dose of consumable media includes dose information for one or more consumables stored apart from the one or more containers and separately accessible by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising initiating a remedial action when the degree of compliance is incomplete for the user with respect to the scheduled dose. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the remedial action includes sending one or more alerts to a user interface associated with the user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the remedial action includes sending one or more prompts to a user interface associated with the user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the remedial action includes sending the one or more prompts to an application on a remote device associated with the user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein sending the one or more prompts to the user interface includes sending a first set of prompts if the first signal indicates that at least one of the one or more containers is empty and otherwise sending a second set of prompts, different from the first set of prompts, if the first signal indicates that the quantity of the consumable media directed to the dispensing zone is less than the scheduled dose of the consumable media. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second signal includes one or more user inputs at the user interface in response to the one or more prompts. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more user inputs in the second signal correspond to one or more of a type or a number of the consumable media consumed by the user at a scheduled time associated with the scheduled dose of the consumable media. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more user inputs in the second signal include an indication that at least a portion of the consumable media is no longer needed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more user inputs in the second signal include an instruction to exclude at least one of the one or more containers from subsequent attempts to direct the consumable media to the dispensing zone. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising updating an adherence metric according to the degree of compliance following the remedial action, the adherence metric associated with the dosing regimen of consumables associated with the user. 
     
     
         18 . A computer program product encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first signal indicative of a quantity of consumable media directed from one or more containers to a dispensing zone;   receiving a second signal indicative of a quantity of the consumable media consumed by a user associated with a scheduled dose of the consumable media; and   based on the quantity of the consumable media directed from the one or more containers to the dispensing zone and the quantity of the consumable media consumed by the user, determining a degree of compliance for the user with respect to the scheduled dose.   
     
     
         19 . A dispensing device comprising:
 a plurality of containers;   a retrieval arm;   a positioner coupled to the retrieval arm and actuatable to move the retrieval arm in one or more of the plurality of containers; and   a controller in communicating relationship with the positioner, the controller configured to
 actuate the positioner to direct at least one portion of a scheduled dose of consumable media, according to a predetermined schedule, from one or more of the plurality of containers to a dispensing zone, 
 receive a first signal indicative of a quantity measured by a sensor, 
 receive a second signal indicative of an input from a user interface, and 
 based on the first signal and the second signal, determine a degree of compliance for a user associated with the scheduled dose. 
   
     
     
         20 . The dispensing device of  claim 19 , wherein the degree of compliance includes non-compliance, compliance, and one or more degrees of partial compliance with respect to the scheduled dose.